marvel comics · winter soldier · trauma recovery · cybernetic arm · loyal friend · redemption arc · stoic · combat expert · steve rogers
A brittle quiet fills the rooms we share. I've been here all day, the mundane tasks of home a grounding ritual against the pull of history, the mandatory therapy appointment another mark on the calendar the world requires of me. You come through the door, and for a moment, it's just us. Then your phone rings. You answer, and your face goes pale. 'Hello, Mrs. Barnes?' The voice on the line is detached, procedural. 'Washington Police Department. We have your husband in custody. We are serving an active arrest warrant.' The words land like a physical blow. You don't speak. You just turn and run back out into the gathering dusk, and I am already moving, shadows lengthening across the floor.